JP2023152889A - Animal storage cage - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an animal storage cage capable of efficiently and safely capturing a stored animal in a simpler structure and inexpensively.SOLUTION: An animal storage cage of the invention comprises: a rectangular parallelepiped shaped storage part for storing an animal; an opening for communicating the storage part with an external part; an opening/closing door for closing and opening the opening; and a movable fence installed on the storage part. The movable fence is configured to be pivotably driven around a pivotal shaft which is parallel to a boundary between a first surface member and a second surface member, between a first position where the movable fence overlaps to the first surface member defining the storage part, and a second position where the movable fence becomes parallel to the second surface member being joined to the first surface member out of surface members defining the storage part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present disclosure relates to cages housing animals.

Animal housing cages are used to house protected wild animals, ornamental animals, livestock, animals used for medical or pharmaceutical tests, and the like. From the viewpoint of animal welfare, collective cages that house a plurality of animals have become mainstream as such animal housing cages.

A collective cage that accommodates multiple animals needs to have a large accommodation space. Therefore, when conducting a medical or pharmaceutical test on animals housed in a collective cage, it is necessary for a worker to enter the collective cage and capture the animals. In this case, a method of restricting the animal's movement using anesthesia or the like may be considered. However, since anesthesia may affect the test results, it is desirable to capture the animal without anesthesia.

By the way, when the housing space is large, such as in a group cage, it may take time even for a skilled worker to capture freely moving animals without anesthesia. The longer it takes to capture an animal, the more stress it can cause the animal. Furthermore, if a worker enters a group cage to capture an animal, there is a possibility that the worker and the animal may be injured. Therefore, there is a need for a technique that can more efficiently and safely capture animals housed in animal housing cages.

In response to the above requirements, an opening is formed on one side of the cage body formed in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, and four holes extending in the front-rear direction (in the depth direction of the cage body) are formed inside the four corners of this opening. An animal housing cage has been proposed in which guide rails are arranged parallel to each other, and a movable frame in which rotating rollers that slide in the front-back direction along the guide rails are arranged on the outside of the four corners is fitted into an opening. (For example, see Patent Document 1.) According to the animal housing cage configured in this way, when capturing the housed animal, the moving frame can be moved in the depth direction to narrow the movable range of the animal, which reduces the time required for capturing. It is possible to shorten.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-305059

When the above-described conventional technology is applied to a collection cage, the size of the moving frame increases and the weight of the moving frame increases accordingly, making it difficult to move the moving frame manually. On the other hand, it is also conceivable to add a drive device that moves the moving frame by electric power, hydraulic pressure, or the like. However, space is required to accommodate the drive and the cost of implementing the cage may increase.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to provide an animal housing cage with a simpler structure that can capture housed animals more efficiently and safely. The aim is to provide this product at a lower price.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the animal housing cage according to the present invention includes a pivotable movable fence installed in the housing section for housing the animal.

Specifically, the animal housing cage according to the present invention includes a housing part that houses an animal, an opening that communicates the housing part with the outside, an opening/closing door that opens and closes the opening, and a movable fence installed in the housing part. and. The movable fence is a fence that is pivotally installed in the housing section, and is configured to be pivotable so as to enclose an animal between the movable fence and a surface member that defines the housing section.

According to the animal housing cage configured as described above, when it is necessary to capture an animal housed in the housing section, the movable fence is pivoted to define the movable fence and the housing section. Animals can be enclosed between the surface member and the surface member. This makes it possible to limit the movement range of the animal, making it possible to capture the animal efficiently and safely. In particular, when the present invention is applied to a group cage, it becomes possible to quickly capture animals without using anesthesia or the like. As a result, it becomes possible to conduct medical or pharmaceutical tests with high accuracy. Furthermore, by adopting a configuration in which the movable fence pivots, it becomes possible to manually move the movable fence even when the present invention is applied to a collective cage (i.e., when the movable fence becomes large). .

The animal housing cage according to the present invention may be configured such that the housing portion has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. In that case, the movable fence has a first position overlapping the first surface member of the plurality of surface members defining the storage section, and a first position overlapping the first surface member of the plurality of surface members defining the storage section. and a second position parallel to a second surface member connected to the member, so as to pivot about a pivot axis parallel to a boundary between the first surface member and the second surface member. It may be installed in the department.

According to the animal housing cage configured as described above, when there is no need to capture the animal housed in the housing section, the movable fence can be kept in the first position, and the movable fence can be moved to the first position. It can be stacked on the surface member. This brings the movable fence into a state where it is housed along the first surface member. As a result, it is possible to suppress the accommodation portion from being narrowed due to the installation of the movable fence. Further, according to the animal housing cage configured as described above, when it is necessary to capture the animal housed in the housing part, the movable fence is pivoted from the first position to the second position. By (deploying) it, it becomes possible to enclose an animal between the movable fence and the second surface member.

In addition, in the animal housing cage configured as described above, when the movable fence is in the second position (when the movable fence is parallel to the second surface member), the movable fence and the second surface member The movable fence may be installed so that a gap is created between the movable fence and the second surface member, or the movable fence may be installed so that there is no gap between the movable fence and the second surface member (the movable fence overlaps the second surface member). A fence may be installed. Whether or not to create a gap between the movable fence and the second surface member in the second position, and the size of the gap when creating a gap, etc., are determined in the animal housing cage according to the present invention. It may be determined depending on the habits, physique, etc. of the animal being treated.

Further, in an animal housing cage configured such that the housing part has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, an opening and an opening/closing door for capturing and taking out an enclosed animal from outside the animal housing cage are provided in the second surface member. It's okay.

In the case where the animal housing cage is configured such that the housing section has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, the wall surface defining the first side surface of the housing section serves as the first surface member, and the wall surface defining the first side surface of the housing section is adjacent to the first side surface of the housing section. The movable fence may be installed in the housing part such that the wall surface defining the second side surface serves as the second surface member. In the animal storage cage configured in this manner, the movable fence pivots around an axis parallel to the boundary between the first side surface and the second side surface of the storage section. That is, the movable fence pivots about an axis perpendicular to the bottom surface of the housing. Such a configuration is suitable for accommodating terrestrial animals that do not have the ability to fly, particularly terrestrial animals that have a habit of escaping into the corners of the housing section.

In the case where the animal housing cage is configured such that the housing section has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, the ceiling surface defining the top surface of the housing section serves as the first surface member and defines the third side surface of the housing section. A movable fence may be installed in the housing part such that the wall surface serving as the second surface member serves as the second surface member. In the animal storage cage configured in this manner, the movable fence pivots around an axis parallel to the boundary between the top surface and the third side surface of the storage section. That is, the movable fence pivots about an axis parallel to the bottom surface of the housing. Such a configuration is suitable for housing terrestrial animals that have the ability to fly, terrestrial animals that have the habit of escaping from low to high places, or aquatic animals.

In addition, the movable fence is attached to the housing part so that the wall surface defining the third side surface described above becomes the first surface member, and the ceiling surface defining the above-mentioned top surface becomes the second surface member. may be installed. That is, in the first position, the movable fence overlaps the wall surface that defines the third side surface of the storage section, and in the second position, the movable fence overlaps the ceiling surface that defines the top surface of the storage section. A movable fence may be installed in the housing part so as to be in a state parallel to. When capturing an animal housed in an animal housing cage, the movable fence is pivoted from the top side of the housing unit to the third side side, or the movable fence is pivoted from the third side side of the housing unit. Whether to pivot toward the top side may be determined depending on the habits of the housed animals. In this case, the size of the rectangular parallelepiped housing can be appropriately adjusted and designed by those skilled in the art, but the difference between the size of the ceiling surface and the size of the wall surface defining the third side surface It may be designed to be small. As a result, both when pivoting the movable fence from the top side of the storage section to the third side surface side and when pivoting the movable fence from the third side surface side of the storage section toward the top side, , it becomes possible to efficiently corral animals.

The movable fence according to the present invention may include an extension portion attached to a portion opposite to the pivot shaft so as to be pivotable around an axis parallel to the pivot shaft. In that case, when the movable fence is in the first position, the movable fence and the extension part are aligned in the same straight line in a cross-sectional view, and when the movable fence is in the second position, the movable fence and the extension part are aligned in a cross-sectional view. A guide portion for guiding the extension portion may be provided in the animal housing cage so that the movable fence and the extension portion form a substantially L-shape. According to such a configuration, when capturing an animal housed in the housing section, by pivoting the movable fence from the first position toward the second position, the extension section and the first surface are It becomes possible to enclose animals in the gap formed between the members.

In addition, in the animal accommodation cage provided with the extension part and the guide part described above, an opening and an opening/closing door for capturing and taking out the enclosed animal from outside the animal accommodation cage may be provided in the first surface member. good.

The movable fence according to the present invention may include a rectangular outer frame and a lattice-shaped inner frame constructed inside the outer frame. This also makes it possible to attach a collar or the like to an animal enclosed between the movable fence and the surface member defining the housing section through the gap in the grid. Furthermore, when the animal housing cage according to the present invention is used underwater (for example, when used to house aquatic animals), the resistance when pivoting the movable fence can be kept low. Furthermore, it is also possible to reduce the weight of the movable fence. In addition, in the case where the extension part is connected to the movable fence, the extension part may also be configured in the same manner as the movable fence.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an animal housing cage that can capture housed animals more efficiently and more safely, with a simpler configuration and at a lower cost.

FIG. 1 is a perspective perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an animal housing cage in the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the animal housing cage in the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a view of the movable fence in the first position, viewed from the front wall side toward the back wall side in the Y-axis direction. FIG. 2 is a first diagram illustrating a procedure for capturing a monkey housed in an animal housing cage in the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a second diagram for explaining a procedure for capturing a monkey housed in an animal housing cage in the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a third diagram for explaining a procedure for capturing a monkey housed in an animal housing cage in the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a fourth diagram for explaining the procedure for capturing a monkey housed in an animal housing cage in the first embodiment. It is a perspective perspective view showing a schematic structure of an animal accommodation cage in modification 1 of a 1st embodiment. It is a top view of the animal accommodation cage in the modification 1 of 1st Embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example in which a plurality of animal housing cages are connected and used in Modification 1 of the first embodiment. It is a top view of the animal accommodation cage in the modification 2 of 1st Embodiment. FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of an animal housing cage in Modification 3 of the first embodiment. It is a top view of the animal accommodation cage in the modification 4 of 1st Embodiment. It is a top view of the animal accommodation cage in the modification 5 of 1st Embodiment. It is a top view of the animal accommodation cage in 2nd embodiment. It is a sectional view of the connection part of the 2nd fence and the guide rail in a 2nd embodiment.

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. The dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, etc. of the components described in the following embodiments are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention only thereto, unless otherwise specified.

<Embodiment 1>
A first embodiment of an animal housing cage according to the present invention will be described based on FIGS. 1 to 7. In the first embodiment, an example in which the animal housing cage according to the present invention is applied to housing monkeys used for medical or pharmaceutical tests will be described.

(overall structure)
The overall configuration of the animal housing cage 1 in this embodiment will be described based on FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a perspective perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an animal housing cage 1 in this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the animal housing cage 1 in this embodiment.

In the following description, an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system will be defined, and the arrangement of the components of the animal housing cage 1 will be explained with reference to this XYZ orthogonal coordinate system. In this embodiment, the horizontal direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the animal housing cage 1 in plan view (the vertical direction in FIG. 2) is the X-axis direction, and the lateral direction of the animal housing cage 1 in plan view (the vertical direction in FIG. 2) is the X-axis direction. The horizontal direction) is defined as the Y-axis direction, and the direction perpendicular to the mounting surface of the animal housing cage 1 (the depth direction in FIG. 2) is defined as the Z-axis direction.

The animal housing cage 1 is formed into a rectangular parallelepiped shape having four walls 10-13, a ceiling 20, and a bottom 21. In this case, a rectangular parallelepiped space Sa defined by four walls 10-13, a ceiling 20, and a bottom 21 is formed inside the animal housing cage 1. The space Sa is a space for accommodating monkeys used for medical or pharmaceutical tests. Hereinafter, the space Sa will be referred to as a housing section Sa. Further, among the pair of walls 10 and 12 extending in the X-axis direction in plan view, one wall 10 is referred to as a back wall 10 and the other wall 12 is referred to as a front wall 12. Furthermore, among the pair of walls 11 and 13 extending in the Y-axis direction in plan view, one wall 11 is referred to as a right side wall 11 and the other wall 13 is referred to as a left side wall 13.

As shown in FIG. 1, the back wall portion 10 and the right side wall portion 11 are constructed by installing a plurality of rod-like members in a lattice shape inside a rectangular outer frame. Note that in FIG. 1, the wall surfaces of the front wall 12 and the left side wall 13 are transparent, but the front wall 12 and the left side wall 13 are also configured in the same way as the back wall 10 and the right side wall 11. Ru. The ceiling portion 20 may be configured in the same manner as the front wall portion 12 and the left side wall portion 13, or may be configured from a plate-shaped member having no gap. The bottom part 21 may be closed so that the mounting surface of the animal housing cage 1 is not exposed, or may be opened so that the mounting surface of the animal housing cage 1 is exposed.

Note that the configuration of the wall section 10-13 is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 1, and can be changed as appropriate depending on the size of the animal accommodated in the accommodation section Sa. For example, the wall portion 10-13 may be constructed by constructing a plurality of rod-like members in a chain shape inside a rectangular outer frame, or may be constructed by constructing a wire mesh inside a rectangular outer frame. Alternatively, both a rod-shaped member and a wire mesh may be constructed inside a rectangular outer frame. Further, different configurations may be adopted for the four wall portions 10-13. For example, the back wall portion 10, the right side wall portion 11, and the left side wall portion 13 may be configured in a plate shape without a gap.

The front wall 12 is provided with an opening 120 and an opening/closing door 121. The opening 120 is an entrance through which a worker enters and exits the storage section Sa or a monkey enters and exits the storage section Sa. The opening 120 in this embodiment is provided in a portion of the front wall 12 near the left wall 13 in the X-axis direction. That is, the opening 120 is provided in a portion of the front wall 12 that is close to a corner that forms a boundary between the inner wall surface of the front wall 12 and the inner wall surface of the left side wall 13 .

The opening/closing door 121 is a door for opening/closing the opening 120. As shown in FIG. 2, the opening/closing door 121 in this embodiment is configured as a hinged door that opens inward clockwise toward the storage portion Sa in plan view. Note that the configuration of the opening/closing door 121 is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 2, and can be changed as appropriate depending on the habits of the animals accommodated in the accommodation section Sa. For example, the opening/closing door 121 may be configured as a hinged door that opens inward counterclockwise toward the storage section Sa in plan view. Further, the opening/closing door 121 may be configured as a hinged door that opens outward clockwise or counterclockwise toward the outside of the storage portion Sa in plan view. Moreover, the opening/closing door 121 may be configured as a sliding door that opens and closes the opening 120 by sliding in the X-axis direction or the Z-axis direction.

A movable fence 40 is installed in the housing section Sa of the animal housing cage 1. The movable fence 40 is a movable fence for enclosing monkeys when capturing the monkeys housed in the housing section Sa. The movable fence 40 in this embodiment is stored when there is no need to capture the monkeys housed in the housing section Sa, and is deployed when it is necessary to capture the monkeys housed in the housing section Sa. It is composed of Note that details of the movable fence 40 will be described later.

The dimensions of the animal housing cage 1 configured as described above are determined so as to be able to accommodate a plurality of monkeys and to form a housing section Sa in which adults can move. Note that when the animal to be housed in the animal housing cage 1 is other than a monkey, the dimensions of the animal housing cage 1 may be changed depending on the physique and habits of the animal to be housed.

(Configuration of movable fence)
Here, the configuration of the movable fence 40 will be explained based on FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 3 is a diagram of the movable fence 40 in the first position viewed from the front wall 12 side toward the back wall 10 side in the Y-axis direction.

The movable fence 40 in this embodiment is located at a position (indicated by a dashed line in FIG. 2) overlapping the inner wall surface of the rear wall portion 10 (the wall surface defining the rear surface of the storage section Sa) in a plan view as shown in FIG. between the first position) and the position overlapping with the inner wall surface of the right side wall portion 11 (the wall surface defining the right side surface of the accommodating portion Sa) (the second position shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 2). Constructed to pivot freely.

The movable fence 40 in this embodiment is formed into a thin plate shape, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the movable fence 40 includes a rectangular outer frame 41, a lattice-shaped inner frame 42 built inside the outer frame 41, and a wire mesh 43 attached to the inner frame 42. It consists of and. Note that if the gap between the grids of the inner frame 42 is so small that a monkey cannot pass through, the wire mesh 43 does not need to be attached to the inner frame 42.

The width of the movable fence 40 (length W1 in the X-axis direction in FIG. 3) is set to be equal to or slightly shorter than the length of the inner wall surface of the right side wall portion 11 in the Y-axis direction. Note that the width W1 of the movable fence 40 may be changed within a range that does not interfere with other components of the animal housing cage 1 when the movable fence 40 pivots from the first position to the second position.

The height of the movable fence 40 (length H1 in the Z-axis direction in FIG. 3) is equal to the ceiling surface of the ceiling section 20 (the inner surface of the ceiling section 20, which defines the top surface of the storage section Sa). ) and the floor surface of the bottom section 21 (the inner surface of the bottom section 21, which defines the bottom surface of the storage section Sa), or is set to be slightly shorter than the interval. . In addition, within the range where the gap between the upper end of the movable fence 40 and the ceiling surface of the ceiling section 20 and the gap between the lower end of the movable fence 40 and the floor surface of the bottom section 21 are so small that a monkey cannot pass through, the movable The height H1 of the fence 40 can be changed.

The movable fence 40 configured as described above is pivotally supported by a support 110 via a plurality of hinges 50, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. In this embodiment, the support column 110 is installed at a corner that forms a boundary between the inner wall surface of the back wall portion 10 and the inner wall surface of the right side wall portion 11 . In that case, as shown in FIG. 3, among both ends of the movable fence 40, the side end located on the right side wall 11 side (post 110 side) in the first position ) is attached to the post 110 via the hinge 50. This allows the movable fence 40 to pivot between the first position and the second position.

Note that the support column 110 may be a member that supports the skeleton of the animal housing cage 1, or may be a member that exclusively supports the movable fence 40. For example, when the size of the animal housing cage 1 is relatively large and the movable fence 40 is also relatively large, the support columns 110 dedicated to supporting the movable fence 40 are connected to the inner wall surface of the rear wall portion 10 and the right side wall. It may be installed at a corner that forms a boundary with the inner wall surface of the portion 11. This makes it possible to install the movable fence 40 without reducing the strength, durability, etc. of the animal housing cage 1. Further, the configuration of the hinge 50 is not limited to a specific configuration, and a known configuration can be adopted. For example, the hinge 50 may have a configuration suitable for the weight of the movable fence 40 and the environment in which the animal housing cage 1 is used.

In the animal housing cage 1 according to the present embodiment, the inner wall surface of the back wall 10 corresponds to the first surface member according to the present invention, and the inner wall surface of the right side wall 11 corresponds to the second surface member according to the present invention. corresponds to

(Operations and effects of Embodiment 1)
The effects of the animal accommodation cage 1 in this embodiment will be explained based on FIGS. 4 to 7. 4 to 7 are diagrams for explaining the procedure for capturing a monkey housed in the housing section Sa of the animal housing cage 1 according to the present embodiment. Pa in FIGS. 4 to 7 indicates a worker who captures monkeys. Moreover, Am in FIGS. 4 to 7 indicates a monkey housed in the housing section Sa. Note that when there is no need to capture the monkey housed in the housing section Sa of the animal housing cage 1, the movable fence 40 is assumed to be housed in the first position.

When capturing the monkey Am housed in the housing part Sa of the animal housing cage 1, the worker Pa first opens the door 121 and enters the housing part Sa of the animal housing cage 1. In the present embodiment, the opening 120 is provided in the front wall 12 at a position close to the left side wall 13, and the opening/closing door 121 is configured to open inward clockwise in plan view, so that the housing portion Immediately after entering Sa, the position of the worker Pa is close to the corner that forms the boundary between the inner wall surface of the front wall portion 12 and the inner wall surface of the left side wall portion 13, as shown in FIG. Here, the monkey Am accommodated in the accommodation section Sa tends to escape in a diagonal direction with respect to the position of the worker Pa. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, immediately after the worker Pa enters the storage part Sa, the monkey Am is near the corner ( (near the pillar 110).

The worker Pa who has entered the housing part Sa closes the opening/closing door 121 and approaches the movable fence 40 located at the first position. As the worker Pa approaches the movable fence 40, the monkey Am moves forward from near the corner that forms the boundary between the inner wall surface of the back wall portion 10 and the inner wall surface of the right side wall portion 11, as shown in FIG. There is a possibility that the particles may escape to the vicinity of the corner that forms the boundary between the inner wall surface of the wall portion 12 and the inner wall surface of the right side wall portion 11 . However, as the worker Pa pivots the movable fence 40 from the first position toward the second position, the worker Pa also moves the inner wall surface of the front wall 12 and the right wall 11. You will be approaching the corner that forms the boundary with the wall. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6, the monkey Am escapes again to the vicinity of the corner that forms the boundary between the inner wall surface of the back wall portion 10 and the inner wall surface of the right side wall portion 11.

Thereafter, when the worker Pa moves the movable fence 40 closer to the second position, the monkey Am is surrounded between the movable fence 40 and the inner wall surface of the right side wall portion 11. At this time, if the monkey Am is lightly sandwiched between the movable fence 40 and the inner wall surface of the right side wall portion 11, the movement of the monkey Am can be stopped. Then, by attaching a collar or the like to the monkey Am through the gap in the inner frame 42 of the movable fence 40, the monkey Am can be captured.

According to the procedure described above, when capturing the monkey Am housed in the housing part Sa, the monkey Am is guided between the movable fence 40 and the inner wall surface of the right side wall part 11. Thereby, the monkey Am housed in the housing part Sa can be enclosed between the movable fence 40 and the inner wall surface of the right side wall part 11. As a result, it becomes possible to quickly capture the fish without using anesthesia or the like. Moreover, it is possible to suppress the monkey Am from receiving excessive stress. Furthermore, it is also possible to reduce the risk of injury to the worker Pa and/or the monkey Am during the work of capturing the monkey Am. Therefore, when using the captured monkey Am for medical or pharmaceutical tests, it is possible to obtain highly accurate test results.

Further, according to the animal housing cage 1 according to the present embodiment, when there is no need to capture the monkey Am housed in the housing section Sa, the movable fence 40 is kept in the first position, so that the movable fence 40 can be kept in the first position. 40 can be stored in a stacked state on the inner wall surface of the rear wall portion 10. Thereby, it is also possible to suppress the accommodation portion Sa from becoming narrower due to the installation of the movable fence 40.

Further, in this embodiment, by employing the movable fence 40 that can be freely stored and deployed by pivoting like a swinging door, it becomes easy to manually store and deploy the movable fence 40. Thereby, even if the movable fence 40 increases in size as the animal housing cage 1 increases in size, it becomes possible to manually store and deploy the movable fence 40. As a result, even if the movable fence 40 becomes larger, there is no need to add a drive device for mechanically storing and deploying the movable fence 40. Note that casters may be attached to the lower end of the movable fence 40, and/or a handle for operation may be attached to the movable fence 40. This makes it possible to manually store and deploy the movable fence 40 even more easily.

Moreover, since the movable fence 40 according to the present embodiment is constituted by a rectangular outer frame 41 and a lattice-shaped inner frame 42, the A collar or the like can be attached to the monkey Am through the gap in the inner frame 42. Furthermore, by forming a gap in the movable fence 40, it is possible to reduce the weight of the movable fence 40.

In addition, although this embodiment described the example where the animal accommodated in the accommodation part Sa is a monkey, the animal accommodated in the accommodation part Sa is not limited to a monkey. For example, a terrestrial animal that does not have the ability to fly, especially an animal that has the habit of running away to a position approximately diagonal to the opening 120 when a worker enters the housing part Sa through the opening 120, is similar to a monkey. It is possible to capture it by following these steps.

Further, in the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the animal is guided between the movable fence 40 and the inner wall surface of the right side wall portion 11 by utilizing the habits of the animal housed in the housing section Sa. A worker different from the worker who moves the animal moves the animal between the movable fence 40 and the inner wall surface of the right side wall 11 using objects, food, sounds, lights, etc. that the animal is interested in. May be induced.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the worker enters the storage part Sa and stores and deploys the movable fence 40. The movable fence 40 may be stored and deployed by operating from the outside.

(Modification 1 of Embodiment 1)
In the first embodiment described above, an example was described in which the animal accommodation cage 1 was provided with only one set of openings and opening/closing doors. In this modification, an example will be described in which the animal accommodation cage 1 is provided with a plurality of sets of openings and opening/closing doors.

FIG. 8 is a perspective perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the animal housing cage 1 in this modification. FIG. 9 is a plan view of the animal housing cage 1 in this embodiment. The animal housing cage 1 in this modification includes an opening 120 and an opening/closing door 121 provided in the front wall 12, as well as an opening 111 and an opening/closing door 112 provided in the right side wall 11.

In the example shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the opening 111 is provided in a portion of the right side wall 11 near the back wall 10 in the Y-axis direction. That is, an opening 111 is provided in the right side wall 11 at a portion close to a corner (post 110) that forms a boundary between the inner wall surface of the right side wall 11 and the inner wall surface of the rear wall 10. The size of the opening 111 may be arbitrarily determined as long as the animal housed in the housing section Sa can pass through. In one example, the size of the opening 111 may be determined as appropriate depending on the size, habits, etc. of the animal to be housed.

The opening/closing door 112 is a door for opening/closing the opening 111. In one example, as shown in FIG. 9, the opening/closing door 112 is configured as a hinged door that opens outward clockwise toward the outside of the storage section Sa in plan view. Note that the configuration of the opening/closing door 112 is not limited to the configuration illustrated in FIG. 9, and can be changed as appropriate depending on the habits of the animals accommodated in the housing section Sa. For example, the opening/closing door 112 may be configured as a hinged door that opens outward in a counterclockwise direction toward the outside of the storage section Sa in plan view. Moreover, the opening/closing door 112 may be configured as a sliding door that opens and closes the opening 111 by sliding in the Y-axis direction or the Z-axis direction.

According to this modification, after the animal housed in the housing part Sa is enclosed between the movable fence 40 and the inner wall surface of the right side wall part 11, the outside of the housing part Sa (the outside of the animal housing cage 1) A worker located inside can open the door 112 and capture the enclosed animal. That is, it becomes possible to easily capture and take out the animal enclosed between the movable fence 40 and the inner wall surface of the right side wall portion 11 from the outside of the animal housing cage 1.

Moreover, according to the animal housing cage 1 provided with the opening 111 and the opening/closing door 112 described above, it is also possible to improve the convenience when a plurality of animal housing cages 1 are connected and used. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example in which a plurality of animal accommodation cages 1 are connected and used.

In the example shown in FIG. 11, two adjacent animal housing cages 1 are connected in the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction). In that case, the right side wall 11 of one animal housing cage 1 (the animal housing cage 1 located on the upper side in FIG. 11) is ) A plurality of animal housing cages 1 may be connected together so as to serve as the left side wall of the cage. That is, the other animal housing cage 1 may be configured so that the left side surface is open. In addition, when connecting to the other animal housing cage 1 with the left side wall 13 provided, an opening is provided in a portion of the left side wall 13 that corresponds to the opening 111 of one animal housing cage 1. It's okay.

When a plurality of animal housing cages 1 are connected in the manner shown in FIG. 11, it is also possible to move animals between two adjacent animal housing cages 1 through the opening 111. Thereby, it is possible to obtain effects such as making it easier to move the animal according to the content of the test, and making it easier to keep the housing section Sa in the animal housing cage 1 clean.

(Modification 2 of Embodiment 1)
In the first embodiment described above, an example was described in which the opening 120 and the opening/closing door 121 were provided in a portion of the front wall 12 close to the left side wall 13. In this modification, an example will be described in which an opening 120 and an opening/closing door 121 are provided in a portion of the front wall 12 close to the right side wall 11.

FIG. 11 is a plan view of the animal housing cage 1 in this modification. As shown in FIG. 11, the opening 120 and the opening/closing door 121 in this modification are provided in a portion of the front wall 12 that is close to the right side wall 11 in the X-axis direction. That is, the opening 120 is provided in the front wall 12 at a position close to a corner that forms a boundary between the inner wall surface of the front wall 12 and the inner wall surface of the right side wall 11 . In this case, as shown in FIG. 11, the opening/closing door 121 is configured to open inward counterclockwise toward the storage portion Sa in plan view.

The movable fence 40 in this modification is pivotally supported by a support 130 installed at a corner that forms a boundary between the inner wall surface of the rear wall portion 10 and the inner wall surface of the left side wall portion 13. Note that the support column 130 may be a member that supports the skeleton of the animal housing cage 1, or may be a member that exclusively supports the movable fence 40. The movable fence 40 is attached to the support column 130 via a plurality of hinges, similar to the first embodiment described above. As a result, the movable fence 40 of this modification is located at a position overlapping the inner wall surface of the rear wall portion 10 (the first position indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 11) and at a position overlapping the inner wall surface of the left side wall portion 13 (the 11) and the overlapping position (the second position indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 11). In addition, in this modification, the inner wall surface of the back wall part 10 corresponds to the 1st surface member based on this invention, and the inner wall surface of the left side wall part 13 corresponds to the 2nd surface member based on this invention.

According to this modification, even if the opening 120 and the opening/closing door 121 are arranged in a position close to the right side wall 11 in the front wall 12, the same effects as in the first embodiment described above can be obtained. can be obtained. That is, the animals housed in the housing section Sa can be enclosed and captured between the movable fence 40 and the inner wall surface of the left wall section 13. Therefore, similarly to the first embodiment described above, the animal housing cage 1 in this modification example is designed to prevent the opening of terrestrial animals that do not have the ability to fly, especially when a worker enters the housing section Sa through the opening 120. It is suitable for housing animals that have a habit of escaping to a position approximately diagonal to the portion 120.

Note that which of the configurations described in the first embodiment and the configuration described in this modification is adopted may be determined depending on the environment in which the animal housing cage 1 is placed.

Further, the left side wall 13 of the animal housing cage 1 in this modification may be provided with an opening and an opening/closing door similar to the right side wall 11 described in the first modification of the first embodiment. .

(Variation 3 of Embodiment 1)
In the first embodiment described above, an example was described in which the movable fence 40 pivots around the axis (post 110) parallel to the boundary between the inner wall surface of the rear wall portion 10 and the inner wall surface of the right side wall portion 11. In this modification, parallel to the boundary between the ceiling surface of the ceiling section 20 (the surface that defines the top surface of the storage section Sa) and the inner wall surface of the right side wall section 11 (the wall surface that defines the right side surface of the storage section Sa) An example in which the movable fence 40 pivots around a pivot axis will be described.

FIG. 12 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the animal accommodation cage 1 in this modification, viewed from the front wall 12 side toward the back wall 10 side in the Y-axis direction. In the animal accommodation cage 1 in this modification, the movable fence 40 is pivotally supported by the support columns 210. The support column 210 is installed at a corner that forms a boundary between the ceiling surface of the ceiling section 20 and the inner wall surface of the right side wall section 11 . The support column 210 may be a member that supports the skeleton of the animal housing cage 1, or may be a member dedicated to supporting the animal housing cage 1. The movable fence 40 is attached to the support column 210 via a plurality of hinges, similar to the first embodiment described above. Moreover, a locking mechanism for fixing the movable fence 40 at the first position may be installed on the ceiling part 20 in this modification. The locking mechanism is not limited to a specific configuration as long as it can be manually locked and unlocked by an operator.

In the animal accommodation cage 1 configured as shown in FIG. 12, the movable fence 40 is located at a position where it overlaps the ceiling surface of the ceiling section 20 (the first position indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 12) and at the right side wall section 11. (the second position shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 12). In addition, in this modification, the ceiling surface of the ceiling part 20 corresponds to the 1st surface member based on this invention, and the inner wall surface of the right side wall part 11 corresponds to the 2nd surface member based on this invention.

When capturing an animal housed in the housing section Sa of the animal housing cage 1 according to this modification, the worker pivots the movable fence 40 from the first position to the second position. good.
Thereby, the animal housed in the housing section Sa can be enclosed between the movable fence 40 and the inner wall surface of the right side wall section 11 and captured. Therefore, the animal accommodation cage 1 according to this modification is suitable for housing terrestrial animals that have the ability to fly, terrestrial animals that have the habit of escaping from low places to high places, or aquatic animals.

In addition, when an aquatic animal is housed in the housing section Sa, the animal housing cage 1 is placed in the water, but since the movable fence 40 has a gap formed therein, the movable fence 40 can be pivoted. It is also possible to keep the resistance to a low level. In addition, when placing the animal housing cage 1 in water, the movable fence 40 can be stored and deployed by a worker operating a rope, chain, etc. connected to the movable fence 40 from outside the housing section Sa. may be performed.

In addition, regarding the movable fence 40 that can pivot between a position overlapping the ceiling surface of the ceiling section 20 and a position overlapping the inner wall surface of the right side wall section 11, the position overlapping the inner wall surface of the right side wall section 11 is set to the first position. In addition, a position overlapping the ceiling surface of the ceiling portion 20 can also be set as the second position. That is, when capturing an animal housed in the housing section Sa, the worker pivots the movable fence 40 from a position where it overlaps with the inner wall surface of the right side wall section 11 to a position where it overlaps with the ceiling surface of the ceiling section 20. You can also do it. When capturing an animal housed in the housing section Sa, the movable fence 40 is pivoted from the ceiling section 20 side toward the right side wall section 11 side, or the movable fence 40 is moved from the right side wall section 11 side toward the ceiling side. Whether it should be pivoted toward the section 20 side may be changed as appropriate depending on the habits of the animals accommodated in the accommodation section Sa. It should be noted that the size of the rectangular parallelepiped accommodating portion Sa can be appropriately adjusted and designed by a person skilled in the art, but it may be designed so that the difference between the size of the ceiling portion 20 and the size of the right side wall portion 11 is small. may be designed. As a result, both when pivoting the movable fence 40 from the ceiling section 20 side to the right side wall section 11 side and when pivoting the movable fence from the right side wall section 11 side to the ceiling section 20 side, it is possible to efficiently It is possible to corral animals.

Further, in this modification, the opening 120 and the opening/closing door 121 are arranged at a position close to the left side wall 13 in the front wall 12, as in the first embodiment described above. . On the other hand, the application is also applicable when the opening 120 and the opening/closing door 121 are arranged at a position close to the right side wall 11 of the front wall 12, similar to the second modification of the first embodiment described above. It is. In that case, the movable fence 40 may be installed so as to pivot around an axis parallel to the boundary between the ceiling surface of the ceiling section 20 and the inner wall surface of the left side wall section 13.

Further, the ceiling portion 20 or the right side wall portion 11 of the animal housing cage 1 in this modification example is provided with an opening and an opening/closing door similar to the right side wall portion 11 described in the modification example 1 of the first embodiment described above. It's okay to be hit.

(Modification 4 of Embodiment 1)
In the first embodiment described above, an example was described in which the pivot shaft (post 110) of the movable fence 40 is arranged at the corner that is the boundary between the inner wall surface of the rear wall portion 10 and the inner wall surface of the right side wall portion 11. . In this modification, an example will be described in which the movable fence 40 is pivoted at a position offset from a corner that forms a boundary between the inner wall surface of the rear wall portion 10 and the inner wall surface of the right side wall portion 11.

FIG. 13 is a plan view of the animal housing cage 1 in this modification. In the animal housing cage 1 in this modification, the Z-axis is located at a position offset toward the left wall 13 in the A post 300 is installed that extends in the direction. The movable fence 40 in this modification is pivotally supported by a support 300. The movable fence 40 is attached to the column 300 via a plurality of hinges, similar to the attachment of the movable fence 40 to the column 110 in the first embodiment described above. In addition, the support 300 may be a member that supports the skeleton of the animal housing cage 1, or the movable fence 40
It may also be a member dedicated to supporting.

In the animal housing cage 1 configured as shown in FIG. 13, the movable fence 40 is located at a position where it overlaps the inner wall surface of the rear wall section 10 (a first position indicated by a dashed line in FIG. (the second position shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 13). Thereby, when the movable fence 40 is in the second position, a gap (G1 in FIG. 13) is formed between the movable fence 40 and the inner wall surface of the right side wall portion 11.

When capturing an animal housed in the housing section Sa of the animal housing cage 1 according to this modification, if the worker pivots the movable fence 40 from the first position to the second position. good. Thereby, the animal housed in the housing part Sa can be enclosed in the gap G1 and captured. Therefore, the animal housing cage 1 according to this modification is suitable for housing an animal with a relatively large physique.

Note that the amount of offset from the corner that forms the boundary between the inner wall surface of the rear wall section 10 and the inner wall surface of the right side wall section 11 to the support column 300 is determined depending on the size of the animal housed in the housing section Sa. It only needs to be set.

Further, the right side wall 11 of the animal housing cage 1 in this modification may be provided with an opening and an opening/closing door similar to the right side wall 11 described in the first modification of the first embodiment. .

(Variation 5 of Embodiment 1)
In the first embodiment and modification example 1-4 described above, an example was described in which the first surface member and the second surface member according to the present invention are different from each other. In this modification, an example will be described in which the first surface member and the second surface member according to the present invention are the same surface member.

FIG. 14 is a plan view of the animal housing cage 1 in this modification. In the animal accommodation cage 1 in this modification, the movable fence 40 is pivotally supported at the intermediate portion of the rear wall portion 10 in the X-axis direction in plan view. Specifically, in plan view, it is pivotally supported by a support 310 installed at the middle portion of the back wall portion 10 in the X-axis direction. At that time, there is a position on the inner wall surface of the rear wall section 10 that overlaps with a portion on the left side wall section 13 side (a first position indicated by a dashed line in FIG. 14), and a position on the inner wall surface of the rear wall section 10 on the right side wall section 11 side. The movable fence 40 is attached to the support post 310 so that the movable fence 40 can freely pivot between a position overlapping the portion (a second position indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 14). The method of attaching the movable fence 40 to the support post 310 is not particularly limited, and any method may be used as long as the movable fence 40 can pivot within a range of 180° CA between the first position and the second position. . Note that the support column 310 may be a member that supports the skeleton of the animal housing cage 1, or may be a member that exclusively supports the movable fence 40.

In the animal housing cage 1 configured as shown in FIG. 14, when capturing an animal housed in the housing section Sa, a worker directs the movable fence 40 from the first position to the second position. All you have to do is pivot. At that time, the worker only needs to move along the trajectory drawn by the tip of the movable fence 40. Thereby, the animal housed in the housing section Sa can be guided between the movable fence 40 and the portion of the inner wall surface of the rear wall section 10 on the right side wall section 11 side. As a result, the animal housed in the housing section Sa is enclosed between the movable fence 40 and the portion of the inner wall surface of the rear wall section 10 on the right side wall section 11 side. Therefore, similarly to the first embodiment described above, the animal housing cage 1 in this modification example is designed to prevent the opening of terrestrial animals that do not have the ability to fly, especially when a worker enters the housing section Sa through the opening 120. It is suitable for housing animals that have a habit of escaping to a position approximately diagonal to the portion 120.

In addition, in this modification, the inner wall surface of the back wall part 10 corresponds to the 1st surface member and the 2nd surface member based on this invention. Specifically, of the inner wall surface of the back wall 10, the portion on the left wall 13 side corresponds to the first surface member according to the present invention, and the portion on the right side wall 11 corresponds to the second surface member according to the present invention. Corresponds to a surface member.

Further, the back wall 10 of the animal housing cage 1 in this modification may be provided with an opening and an opening/closing door similar to the right side wall 11 described in the first modification of the first embodiment. .

<Embodiment 2>
Next, a second embodiment of the animal housing cage according to the present invention will be described based on FIGS. 15-16. Here, configurations different from those of the first embodiment described above will be described, and descriptions of similar configurations will be omitted.

In the first embodiment described above, an example was described in which the movable fence 40 was formed in the shape of a single thin plate. In contrast, in this embodiment, an example will be described in which the movable fence 40 is formed into a thin plate shape divided into two pieces.

FIG. 15 is a plan view of the animal housing cage 1 in this embodiment. The movable fence 40 in this embodiment includes a first movable fence 44 and a second movable fence 45. One side end of the first movable fence 44 is attached to the post 110 in a manner that allows it to pivot about the post 110. In this embodiment, the first movable fence 44 is located at a position where it overlaps with the inner wall surface of the rear wall portion 10 (a first position indicated by a dashed line in FIG. 15 (the second position shown by the two-dot chain line). The first movable fence 44 is attached to the support column 110 via a hinge, similar to the movable fence 40 in the first embodiment described above.

The other side end of the first movable fence 44 is connected to one side end of the second movable fence 45. At that time, the first movable fence 44 and the second movable fence 45 are pivoted relative to the first movable fence 44 around a pivot axis parallel to the support 110. Concatenated. In this embodiment, in plan view, from a state in which the first movable fence 44 and the second movable fence 45 are lined up in series in the same straight line, the first movable fence 44 and the second movable fence 45 are arranged at right angles. The second movable fence 45 pivots with respect to the first movable fence 44 until it is bent (the first movable fence 44 and the second movable fence 45 form a substantially L-shape). , the first movable fence 44 and the second movable fence 45 are connected. For example, the other side end of the first movable fence 44 and one side end of the second movable fence 45 may be connected via a hinge.

A pair of guide rails 61-62 are provided on the ceiling surface of the ceiling portion 20 of the animal accommodation cage 1 in this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 15, the guide rails 61-62 curve from the vicinity of the rear wall 10 toward the front wall 12 in the Y-axis direction and toward the right wall 11 in the X-axis direction in plan view. It is formed in an arc shape that extends while moving. In the example shown in FIG. 15, the end positions of the guide rails 61-62 in the Y-axis direction are set closer to the rear wall 10 than between the rear wall 10 and the front wall 12.

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the guide rails 61-62. The guide rails 61-62 in this embodiment are configured to guide a hanging wheel 420 attached to the upper end of the movable fence 40, as shown in FIG. Further, the length and shape from the base end to the terminal end of the guide rails 61-62 in this embodiment are set so as to satisfy the following "Condition 1" and "Condition 2".
Condition 1: When the first movable fence 44 is in the first position, the first movable fence 44 and the second movable fence 45 are lined up in series on the same line in plan view.
Condition 2: When the first movable fence 44 is in the second position, the first movable fence 44 and the second movable fence 45 form a substantially L-shape in plan view (the second movable fence 45 is bent at a substantially right angle to the first movable fence 44).

In the animal housing cage 1 configured as described above, when the first movable fence 44 is in the second position, the movable fence 40, which is approximately L-shaped in plan view, and the inner wall surface of the rear wall portion 10 are connected to each other. A gap is formed in between. Therefore, when capturing an animal housed in the housing section Sa, the worker pivots the first movable fence 44 from the first position to the second position, thereby capturing the animal housed in the housing section Sa. Animals housed in can be corralled into the above-mentioned gap. Such an animal housing cage 1 is suitable for housing animals that have a habit of escaping into narrow spaces when approached by a worker, for example.

In addition, in this embodiment, the 1st movable fence 44 corresponds to the movable fence based on this invention, and the 2nd movable fence 45 corresponds to the extension part based on this invention. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the combination of the guide rails 61-62 and the hanging wheel 420 corresponds to the guide section according to the present invention.

Further, the back wall 10 of the animal housing cage 1 in this modification may be provided with an opening and an opening/closing door similar to the right side wall 11 described in the first modification of the first embodiment. .

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Animal accommodation cage, 10...Back wall part, 11...Right side wall part, 12...Front wall part, 13...Left side wall part, 20...Ceiling part, 21... - Bottom part, 40... Movable fence, 41... Outer frame, 42... Inner frame, 43... Wire mesh, 44... First movable fence, 45... Second movable fence , 50... Hinge, 61... Guide rail, 62... Guide rail, 110... Support column, 111... Opening, 112... Opening/closing door, 120... Opening, 121... ...Opening/closing door, 130... Support, 210... Support, 300... Support, 310... Support, 420... Hanging wheel, Sa... Accommodation section

Claims (6)

A housing unit for housing animals;
an opening that communicates the housing part with the outside;
an opening/closing door that opens and closes the opening;
An animal housing cage comprising:
The movable fence is pivotally installed in the housing part, and further includes a movable fence that pivots so as to enclose the animal between the movable fence and a surface member defining the housing part. ,
Animal housing cage. The housing part has a rectangular parallelepiped shape,
The movable fence has a first position overlapping a first surface member of the plurality of surface members defining the storage section, and a first position overlapping the first surface member of the plurality of surface members defining the storage section. between a second surface member connected to the surface member and a second position parallel to the surface member, about a pivot axis parallel to the boundary between the first surface member and the second surface member; , installed in the housing section,
The animal housing cage according to claim 1. The first surface member is a wall surface defining a first side surface of the accommodating portion,
The second surface member is a wall surface defining a second side surface adjacent to the first side surface of the accommodating portion.
The animal housing cage according to claim 2. The first surface member is a ceiling surface that defines a top surface of the storage section,
The second surface member is a wall surface defining a third side surface of the accommodating portion.
The animal housing cage according to claim 2. an extension part that is attached to a portion of the movable fence on the opposite side of the pivot axis so as to be pivotable around an axis parallel to the pivot axis;
When the movable fence is in the first position, the movable fence and the extension portion are aligned in series in the same straight line in cross-sectional view, and when the movable fence is in the second position, a guide portion that guides the extension portion so that the movable fence and the extension portion form a substantially L-shape when viewed;
further comprising;
The animal housing cage according to any one of claims 2 to 4. The movable fence includes a rectangular outer frame and a lattice-shaped inner frame built inside the outer frame.
The animal housing cage according to claim 1.

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